Halesowen in Bloom were crowned the overall winner at the Heart of England in Bloom awards – and will now go on to represent the region in the national finals next year.

Halesowen in Bloom won gold for the seventh time in the Urban Community category at the Heart of England In Bloom Awards 2022.

But it was also judged the best entry in the whole competition by the Heart of England judging panel with an incredible score of 98 per cent - dropping just two points out of the 100 available.

Judges hailed the ‘outstanding’ floral displays throughout the town. They said grounds maintenance carried out by Dudley Council was of an excellent standard and congratulated the hard working volunteers for their contribution to a ‘magnificent’ entry.

But the wins did not stop there. Eve O’Connor, chair of the group, also walked away with the Outstanding Achievement Award for leadership while Halesowen Walled Garden won a special award for improving mental health and wellbeing. Ms O’Connor said:

"I am truly speechless at the success of Halesowen in Bloom this year, this is a testament to the outstanding community volunteers as well as the incredible commitment of our green care and street cleaning teams.

"We look forward to putting Halesowen on the blooming map for the second time in the national Britain in Bloom competition."

A judging panel for Britain in Bloom will visit Halesowen next summer in 2023 before the national results are announced at a ceremony later on in the year.